Sounding-board press



Jan, 29, 1929. 1,700,391

J. H. WILLIAMS ET AL SOUNDING BOARD PRESS 7 Original Filed June 2, 1925Jan. 29, 1929.

J. H. WILLIAMS ET AL SOUNDING BOARD PRES S Original Filed June 2,- 19252 Sheets-Sheet Patented Jan. 29, 3.929.

rn'rn s'rr-ss JAMES H. WILLIAMS AND LOUIS K. VOGT, OF NORWALK, OHIO,ASSIGNORS TO UNITED PIANO CORPORATION, OF NORW'ALK, OHIO, A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

SOUNDING-BOARD PRESS.

Application filed June 2, 1925, Serial No. 34,502. Renewed June 20,1928.

This invention relates to devices used in the manufacture of pianos andhas particular reference to the manufacture of sounding boards for grandpianos.

As is well known these sounding boards are arched or crowned and areprovided with a number of ribs which are glued to their under or concavefaces, to aid in the support of the boards and, at the same time,preserve the crown.

It has been the practice to produce a sounding board of this type bymeans of a table having a top which is concaved according to the crowndesired in the sound ing board. The board is then placed upon this tableand the ribs, provided with glue, are laid thereupon according tocertain markings after which resilient bars of wood are placed withtheir lower ends upon the ribs and are sprung between these ribs and asuitable overhead abutment such as the ceiling of the room in which thesounding boards are being prepared. As a result the ribs are forcedtightly against the sounding board and the latter is forced into theconcave table top where the two are held by the bars until the glue hasset, thus attaching the ribs and producing the crown.

The operation just described, requires a large amount of time and theresults are not always accurate, so that the object of this in ventionis to provide means for quickly and simultaneously attaching the ribsand crowning the board to produce a structure in which the ribs areaccurately spaced and in contact with the board throughout their entirelength.

A further, object is to provide means for properly marking the rib endsfor trimming and for marking the sound board for proper positioning ofthe bridges, such marking being coincident with the crmvning and ribattaching operation.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the (lOSCI'lPiJlOIlproceeds.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings inwhich the same reference numeral is applied to the same portionthroughout.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus used in the manufacture ofthe sounding board, a portion being indicated in d0tted lines.

Figure 2 is a front elevationof the apparatus, at right angles to Figure1.

Figure 3 is a plan view with the hinged upper portion removed andshowing that portion indicated in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a vertical section on the staggered line 44, showing a soundboard in position.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectionon the line 55.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on the line 66.

Figure 7 is a vertical section on the line I This invention comprises atable 10 which may be supported on legs 11 or in any other suitablemanner. Pivoted to the table 10 through the medium of the hinges 12, isa crowning mould 13, the under side of which is concaved as indicated bythe dotted line 14-. This crowning mould may be maintained in a normallyelevated position by means of the weight and pulleys, as shown, or inanyother desired manner, it being held in a lowered or operatingposition by means of the pivoted clamping members 15 Which areconnectedto the table by means of the links 16. On the upper side of theclamping plate 13 are bearing plates 17,

to receive the ends of the clamping levers,

the latter being formed with rounded portions 15, to provide a rollingcontact.

Resting upon the table is a gluing frame 18, as clearly shown in Figure3 and indicated in the dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. This gluingframe is slightly larger than the sounding board to be produced and isheld in position upon the table by means of removable pins 19, so thatgluing frames of various shapes and sizes may be substituted.

Mounted upon the gluing frame 18 are a number of rib supports 20, theupper surfaces of which are channeled longitiuliually as clearly shownin Figure 5. i

Interposcd between each rib support and the gluing frame is alongitudinal series of springs 21 While at the opposite sides there of,are guide pins 22 arranged in pairs to prevent lateral movement of thesupports,

these pins being mounted in the gluing frame. To restrict the upwardmovement of the rib supports 20, and prevent long tudinal movementthereof a number of screws 23 are arranged in the under side of eachsupport, with their heads extending into recesses 24. in the gluingframe. Each of these screws passes through a plate 25, se cured to thegluing frame, above each recess the heads of the screws limitii theupward movement of the rib supports upon. coming into contact with thesaid plates.

After the ribs nave been attached to the sounding board it is customaryfor their ends to he reduced in thickness and in order that these ribsmay be properly marked to indicate the inward limit of the reducedportions, spurs 26 are mounted in the upper faces of the rib supports atproper points. t is also necessary for the bridges to be attached to thesounding board in predeter mined places and these bridges must beaccurately positioned. In order that the positioning of these bridgesmay be the same in connection with each sounding board, suitable markingspurs 27 are mounted on the gluing frame. In order that the soundingboard 28, indicated. in dotted lines in Figure 3, may be properlypositioned upon the gluing frame, will be hereinafter described, springsupported stops 29 are mounted at the rear side and at one end thereof.

In using this invention, the longitudinally arched faces of the ribs arefirst provided with glue after which each is placed in a rib support ofcorresponding length, this positioning being readily accomplishedthrough the aid of the guide pins 22. When all of the ribs are thusarranged, the sounding board is placed on them as shown at Figure 4,with two of its edges in engagement with the stops 29, thus correctlypositioning the same. The crowning mould 13 is then drawn downwardlyupon the sounding board and firmly held in position by means of theclamps 15. As will be readily understood, this clamping action, togetherwith the springs beneath the rib supports, willforce the ribs firmlyagainst the sounding board and will force the sounding board intothe-concaved under face of the crown.- ing mould 13, while the spurs 26and 27 will, at the same time, properly marl: the ribs for trimming andproperly mark the sounding board for the positioning of the lu'i(lges.As the stops 29 are mounted on springs, they will recede as thecrowi'iing mould descends upon them. lifter the asseml'ilcd parts harebeen held until the glue has set, it will be found that the soundingboard has been given the proper crown and that the ribs have becometightly and accurately affixed thereto. The assembly is then removed andpassed on for the rib trimming and bridge attaching operations.

It is to be understood that a gluing frame, separate from the table,will not be used excepting when sounding boards of different sizes areto be produced. lVhen the sounding boards are to be of the same size,the rib supports may be mounted directly upon the table 1.0, which thentakes the place of the gluing frame.

lVhat is claimed is:

1. it piano sounding board press including a gluing frame, rib supportscarried by the gluing frame and mounted for movement toward and awaytherefrom, resilient means for urging the rib supports out of engagementwith the gluing frame, means for limiting the outward movement of therib supports, spurs carried by the rib supports and the gluing frame,and a cone-red crowning mould associated therewith and arranged formovement in the direction of the gluing frame.

2. A piano sounding board press including a gluing frame, guide pinscarried by the gluing frame, rib supports mounted between the guidepins, spring interposed between the ribs and the gluing frame, means forlimiting the upward movement of the rib supports, marking spurs carriedby the rib supports and a concaved crowning mould associated therewithand arranged for movement toward and away from the gluing frame.

3. A device for simultaneouslycrowning a sounding board and attachingribs thereto, including a gluing frame, a crowning mould arranged foroperation toward and away from the gluing frame and rib supportsassociated with the gluing frame, said rib supports being mounted formovementtoward the gluing frame upon operation of the crowning mouldtoward the gluing frame.

4. A device for simultaneously crowning a piano sounding board andattaching ribs thereto including a gluing frame, a crowning mouldarranged for operation toward and away from the gluing frame andresiliently supported rib supports carried by the gluing frame, said ribsupports being mounted for individual movement toward the gluing frameupon operation of the crowning mould toward the gluing frame.

5. A device for simultaneously crowning a piano sounding board andattaching ribs thereto, including a gluing frame, a crowning mouldarranged for operation toward and away from the gluing frame, ribsupports associated with the gluing frame, to siiieul means for urgingthe rib supports out of engagement with the gluing frame and means forlimiting the outward movement of the rib supports, said supports beingadapted to move toward the gluing frame upon operation of the crowningmould toward the gluing frame.

6. A piano sounding board press including means for crowning a soundingboard and attaching ribs thereto and means for marking the soundingboard for a subsequent operation, both of said means being taching theribs thereto and marking the.

ribs for a subsequent operation.

8. A step in the manufacture of sounding boards for pianos whichconsists of simultaneously crowning the sounding board, at-

taching the ribs thereto and marking the sounding board for a subsequentoperation. 9. A sounding board press including a gluing frame, acrowning mould arranged for operation toward and away from the gluingframe, rib supports connected with the gluing frame, means forresiliently supporting said rib supports, guide pins arranged atopposite sides of the rib supports and spurs carried by the rib supportsand the gluing frame, said rib supports being adapted to move in thedirection of the gluing frame upon operation of the crowning mould.

In testimony whereof, we affix our signatures.

JAMES H. WILLIAMS. LOUIS K. VOGT.

